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WUNJ
History The station launched on August 5,1968 as an independent affiliation, during daytime hours it was in spanish on the overnights hour there was english infomercials. On June 5, 1969, the station completed it first transmitterat the station since launch it was on a radio transmitter, the station had expanded coverage all the way until Tallahassee. Programing was pretty decent until 1970, they decided work out an affiliation deal with Spanish International Network (SIN). On Jaunaury 1,1970 they became affiliated to SIN still they had spanish programming like "Sabado Gigante" from 7am until 12pm midnight then from 12pm till 7am English infomercials. On weekends a little longer from 6am to 11p m with english infomercials from 10pm until. .5:55am. In 1987 SIN was changed to Univision,programming changed totally. In 1999 a proposed deal was approved to move there transmitter to Jacksonville Beach about 30 minutes from Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach is there original city license construction was completed in 2000 their coverage remained the same. In 2004 Hurricane Alex severely damaged there transmitter while it was repaired the station thought about building a secondary transmitter in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville. Then another Hurricane called "Hurricane Charley" knocked down there transmitter in Jacksonville Beach, the station was in the middle of Hurricane Coverage when it fell knocked the station off the air for little more than 2 hours. The station announced almost a week later that it would build a secondary transmitter in Downtown Jacksonvile atop the largest building in Jacksonville. In late 2004-2005 the station's original transmitter which was on a radio station transmitter was torn down the radio station became defunct, and the station abandoned and there was no use so it was torn down. Digital Television Digital Channels The station's digital channel is multiplexed: As of November, 2014 WUNJ changed the simulcast of WUNJ 68.1 from 480i to 1080i. Analog-to-digital conversion WUNJ discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 45, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 45, using PSIP to display WUNJ's virtual channel as 45 on digital television receivers. On the night June 11,2009 during it's 11pm newscast of "Noticias 45" that station was Jacksonville's only station in the market to show the station's history, along with Los Angeles's KMEX and Paterson,New York's WXTV. = Grit TV As of August 14, 2014, Grit TV was added on subchannel 45.4, which was airing promos at the time. This is the first English digital broadcast network since the station dropped all of its English-language programming/informercials in 1970 as part of the switch to SIN. Bounce TV On March 1, 2015, WUNJ started carrying Bounce TV after another Jacksonville TV station dropped it from its digital lineup to create a space for the upcoming Buzzr TV. News Operation In 1990 the station launched "Noticias 45" a newscast that aired 6pm and 11pm to complete with WJTS-TV,the newscast was anchored by Edgar Hernandez and Gloria Elena Rodriguez. in 1991 the launched a weather department for the first year as a news department weather was report by both Edgar and Gloria they both had weather duties, they hired Maria Benitez and for sports Guillermo Viera had sports completing the news team. 1992 the station had rebranded it news department to "Notivision 45". But later shorty after the rebrand Edgar Hernandez left to go to crosstown rival Telemundo station WJTS-TV to anchor there newscast as that station was trying to rebrand itself. The station replaced him with Jaun Carlos Robles a inspired Puerto rican journalist. In 1995 the station launched the first community affairs program called "Enfoque Jacksonville" it airs Sunday mornings at 6:00am and evenings at 11pm. But then after the attempts to imporve quality of it's newscast ratings dropped at 6pm more hispanics were turning to WJTS-TV, and furthermore the 11pm newscast became number 8 in the ratings and number 2 spanish TV for Jacksonville. And at the time WJTS-TV didn't have and 11pm newscast it was a repeat of the 6pm newscast (until that changed in 1998), and ratings still were growing just for a repeated newscast. But revenge turned for WJTS-TV in June 1999, station management decided to launch Jacksonville's first and only spanish-language weekend newscast, airing Saturdays and Sunday 6pm and 11pm anchored by Alfredo Rullan and Nilda Amaro and weather was anchor by Alfy Gonzalez and sports was anchored by Selena Penavega. The station added 2 reporters to accompany the weekend newscast Tony Moreno and Merijoel Verdina. On June 12,1999 was the launch of the Saturday and Sunday 6pm and 11pm shows. In 2000 WUNJ was the only station to have reporter for two months in Havana,Cuba and then three weeks in Miami to cover the Elian Gonzalez custody battle, however WJTS-TVWJTS-TV had 6 reporters cover the Elian Gonzalez custody battle. They had 3 reporters in Miami, and 2 reporters were in Havana, Cuba, and 1 was in Washington D.C.. But then both station were in Miami and at Andres Air Force Base to cover the return of custody to the father of Elian Gonzalez. The both station battle over reporters to cover Elian Gonzalez sparked national attention and both WUNJ and WJTS were critized one newspaper had said "These Spanish Station acting like their fighting over a boy or acting like a baby, like if it was the last cookie on a plate". Both station GM and ND's were both put on 6-week leave. In 2001 The station launched "Noticias 45 a tu lado" an investigative unit and consumer unit. In 2001 shortly after WJTS the station lunched a morning newscast called "Noticias 45 Al Madrugada" the launched from 6am-7am anchored by Antonia Blancas and Rafeal Penevega, Veronica Ponce did weather and Antonio Rullán had traffic. Shortly after the September 11 attacks the show expanded to Telefutura at 7am a week after a 0.2 average that hour extension was cancelled. But after that the station had major reshuffling shortly after Blancas left Rafeal became lead anchor and Veronica moved from weather to news, furthermore they hired Stephanie Gonzalez who first weather gig fresh out of college to anchor the weather, and Rullán continued handling traffic reports. In 2003 the station expanded it's morning newscast to 5am. In 2004 while the station was in the middle of "Hurricane charley" coverage the station transmitter was knocked down by the storm, for more than 2 hours hispanic viewers not knowing to do for those 2 hours would latter turn to rival WJTS as they were going through their continuos 3 day non-stop coverage with no commercial interruptions during the storm. After coming back on the air they continued there non-stop commercial free coverage and viewers returned, but after the storm the station dealt an economic loss from the storm and transmitter collapse and outside the station were protest and angry and confused viewers. Of what had happened was going the station GM at the time Jose Moises had committed saying the station's transmitter fell he said that during protest, then later 6pm newscast the day after the storm he said it again, and 2 anchors had mentioned that an hour after returning on air during the resume of continuos commercials-free coverage. In 2006 it debuted a state-of-the-art studio and facility Bartram Park Blvd near Interstate 95, they had moved about 20.2 miles away from it old studios on East 1st Street near Downtown Jacksonville. In 2008 WUNJ was one of Jacksonville's first station to broadcast their newscast in High definition, and the first Spanish station in HD. In May 2,2012 the station expanded it's 11pm newscast to 11:35pm, (expanding in 35 minutes in length). The weekend newscast continued to run for a half-hour. In 2013 it debuted "Accion Deportiva 45" a 15-minute sports highlight program that aired sunday nights at 11:15 p.m. the station 11p.m. Sunday night newscast was truncated by 15 minutes. in May 2014 the station's 6 p.m. newscast and all of its newscast was moved to a temporary set, the next day on (May 8) announced during its morning newscast it was constructing a brand new set to be debuted July 23, 2014. The set debuted during its 6 p.m. newscast with a huge color-changing city skyline background, monitored news desk, high-tech monitors, and a high-tech weather center, the set is similar to San Francisco sister-station KDTV. Category:Jacksonville, FL Category:Florida Category:Univision Network Affiliates Category:Channel 45 Category:Television channels and stations established in 1968 Category:Television stations and channels established in 1968 Category:Television channels and Stations established in 1968 Category:Former Independent stations Category:Former independent stations Category:Former Spanish International Network affiliates Category:Berfield/Willis Broadcast Corporation